NSHA Deflects Heat from Nurse Transfer
The Nova Scotia Health Authority issued a press release today suggesting Cumberland County officials are in step with a plan that sends nurses from Springhill to Amherst, at the expense of the local All Saints Hospital.
The statement says, “Representatives from Cumberland County and Nova Scotia Health have committed to work together to support the recruitment and retention of staff and physicians to support programs and services at All Saints Hospital in Springhill and Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre in Amherst.”
The truth is, local officials have always been willing to work together, so what’s new? Simply put, the NSHA has been called out by local officials on an ill-conceived plan they imposed without any notice to those same local officials.
The issue emerged when the NSHA decided to transfer nurses from Springhill to Amherst to solve a shortage in the Regional Hospital. The move, while helpful to the larger hospital, would have effectively shut down emergency service in the community hospital.
Surprised by the move, two local elected officials jumped into action—the MLA for Cumberland South and the Mayor of Cumberland County.
Together they rattled chains with Northern Zone officials in the NSHA, making it perfectly clear that robbing Springhill to pay Amherst was no solution at all, it just moved the issue up the road.
Today’s press release from the NSHA suggests a meeting of interested parties, last week in Springhill, included Cumberland County mayors and MLAs, community recruitment committees and health care foundations, all expressing their concern over the move. However, neither of the two community recruitment committees were actually invited.
At this point, four nurses have been reassigned to the regional hospital, a move the Northern Zone Vice President of Operations defends, saying, “It’s not part of a plan to close All Saints Hospital.” Bethany McCormick said, “We have to recruit staff so we can return to seven-day service at All Saints Hospital as soon as possible.”
A meeting has been arranged for next week and the Northern Zone Medical Executive Director says, “We look forward to our conversation next week about exploring ways to engage communities in recruiting health care professionals to Cumberland County.” Dr. Aaron Smith also said, “Collaboration and partnerships with our communities are key to successfully solve the recruitment challenges.”
However, once again, neither of the county’s two recruitment committees have, in fact, been invited.
It appears to be another example of the centralized decision making put in place with the creation of the Nova Scotia Health Authority, a body empowered to act alone, without local input.
Both Tory Rushton, the local MLA, and Mayor Murray Scott want that to change, and for Cumberland County’s community health services, that change cannot come soon enough.
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